Rare 50p coins could make you a mint

Grace Newton

Empty your purse, look under the sofa and check your pockets; because if you have a special 50p coin it could actually be worth hundreds of pounds

The limited edition Beatrix Potter coins were issued by Royal Mint to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of author in 2016, and both a plain silver proof coin and a coloured coin were introduced into circulation.

Demand for the coloured coins has since skyrocketed, and they have been auctioned for hundreds of pounds on Ebay. Some sellers have reportedly been lucky enough to sell them for thousands.

The currency features the much-loved characters of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Squirrel Nutkin and Mrs Tiggywinkle, plus a special 150th anniversary coin.

A lucky man from Northern Ireland is one of the lucky few to have found one of the coins in his wallet.

“When I first got the coin, I didn’t think much of it, I was interested why the rabbit was on the front but didn’t pay much attention,” explained Caolán McGinley.

“I was scrolling through Twitter and came across an amazing article about a homeless man who had been handed one of the coins that turned out to be worth so much more. I started to research the coin and the design and the significance of the coin and the history of Beatrix Potter and the tale of Peter Rabbit.

“I actually considered giving the coin away to a friend whose father has the same name,” he added.

The silverproof coins can still be purchased from the official Royal Mint website for £10.